Nketoana Local Municipality in Rietz in the Free State has come under the spotlight as its mayor, Maditswako Mokoena, is accused of chasing a luxurious lifestyle with the municipality’s low budget instead of prioritising service delivery in the community.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has demanded accountability for the mayor’s luxury expenses, which include the purchase of a new Haval SUV vehicle worth R695 000. Mokoena also advertised vacancies for a driver at R233 239.48 per annum and a personal secretary at R280 099.37 per annum.
DA Councillor at Nketoana Local Municipality, Anelia Smit, said they wanted the mayor to keep the BMW 4-Series which needed minor repairs. She said the car needed maintenance and automatic gearbox replacement, while waiting for quotes to fix the vehicle, Mokoena allegedly went behind their backs to purchase the new vehicle.
“As a council member, I am of the opinion that the mayor is putting her own needs above those of service delivery and the community. These funds could have been better used to address the pressing needs of the community, which is already struggling due to lack of funds for current service delivery.
“The DA calls for greater accountability from the mayor and urges her to prioritise the community’s needs above her personal interests. We urge the mayor to address the council and explain the need for her luxury expenses. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and advocate for responsible and transparent governance that puts the community first,” said Smit.
She said food prices and fuel were spiraling out of control and municipalities should offer their communities relief from the impact of all these.
Another DA councilor, Thinus Blignaut, said the money could have managed to fix the existing BMW 4-Series mayoral car and also afford the municipal offices generators that would allow the office to continue working during load shedding.
“The mayor has been dragging this municipality to the ground for years and will continue to do so unless we put all this to an end. The Nketoana Local Municipality office shuts its doors when load shedding hits, meaning that we do not have enough time to work on bettering the community, but someone wants to drive luxury while the other mayoral car parks at their preferred space,” said Blignaut.
Nketoana Local Municipality communications officer Barbara Segacwi passed the questions to municipal manager, Mokete Nhlapo, who also demanded to be given more time to respond, but has since failed to do so.
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